Stepladder hinge



' F. J. LE BEAU STEPLADDER HINGE' Filed Feb. 18, 1924 Patented Oct. 13, i925.

UNITED f sTATEi-s 1,555,853. PATElSwJr`l` OFFICE.

FERNANDO .tra BEAU, orNILiiscENrEmILLINOIs, TassIGNoR or ONE-THIRD To Emea BLAINE rrInIlIN AND `ONE-trrIIn-n To rIIEI'Us LXTIIEIIIILB'OTII or CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

STEPLADDER HINGE.

Application lcdFebI-uary 18, 1924:.V SerialNo. 693,464.

To o-ZZ whom t may concer/a: l

"Be It known that I, FERNANDO J. `Ln BEAU,

` a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Niles Center, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stcpladder Hinges, of whichthefollowing is af specifi* cation. l

Generically, this invention' `relates to hinges for useibetween two'angiilarlydis-` posed `members to be pivoted together.

More particularly, it relates to the hinge connection between the two upright supports of a step-ladder, Inore specifically such a stepladder made wholly ofmetal.` The object of the invention is to provide ahinge constructionofthe utility outlined, such as can be formed bysimple punching `and weld# ing operations `by the use of a minimum number of parts in addition tothe necessary uprights of the ladder which are to be pivotally secured together. The invention consists in mechanism for attaining the fore-` going and other Objects which can ber very easily and cheaply made; which is satisfactory in `use and is not readily liable toV .get out of order. More particularly the invention consists in numerous features and de tails of construction which will be hereafter more fully set forth. in the specification' and claiins.v `l

Referring toY the drawings Vin which -fsiminumerals indicate the same parts throughoutthe several views: y

"Figure 1 is asideelevation ofza metal step-ladder equipped with the device of this Figure 2is `a side detail elevation, taken on -the irregular line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 iis aside detail view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Y i

Figure l' is a perspective view of the parts entering into the hinge construction of this invention.` i y f `Figure `ois a perspective view vshowing what will hereafter be described as the movable upright of` the ladderjfremoved from the remaining parts of Figure 4.

Every step-ladder comprises in the first instance two upright parts 10 and V12, the former the ladder proper, the latter the diagonal brace therefor, both of which arc in fact in ordinary Operation movable with reference either one to the other but for con venience of description hereafter, the ladder 10` will be referred to as the stationary upright and the brace 12 as the movable upright. The problem solved `by this invention. is `to conveniently and economically; hinge this movable upright.tothestationary` uprightf` e 1 Y.

`As clearly shown in Figure 2 andin accordance with conventional practice, a `separate hinge is provided at each` sideof the` ladder lOybut as these hinges areidentical inv construction, except that they are reversals, one` of the other, the single `hinge shown in Figures 3, l and 5 will be described. y In carrying out thisinventiom a horizon; tally disposed cross-plate 1&1 isrigidlyi-secured to the top of the` adjacent` portion of the stationary uprightlO `by any suitable means-such `as welding.V In the, particular form here shown, this cross-plate `is infthe' form of an angle iron having an upper flange 16 on whichrests the top `step 18` of the completed ladder. This plate. 14is made substantially longer than the widthof the stationary upright 10 so as tov overlap as shown in Figures 3 and Lfthe web. of the metal upright 12 and a suitable perforation' 201 is. formed in this cross-plate 14 at the point .where it `overlaps andrcontacts the movablaupright 12. "lhis perforation 2,0 is made preferably circular, in formso as to fform va pivotal bearing in connection with a bar 22 rigidly, preferably by.` welding, secured to the inside of the upright 12 along the locationA 24 to one side of theperforation 2O.` i The upperportionof the bar 22, which is not thus welded. tothe uprightll2, is` in initial construction so shaped thatfas showny it lirst bends outward from the web of member 12 in the portion 26 parallel thereto and then at the perforation turns sharply into and through saidperforation in the right angle part- 28, the extreme end B0 of loo such a articular hinge rocks freely within proper imits about this hinge with reference to stationary upright 10.

`In the actual construction shown in the drawings, the cross-plate 14 is roundedv off' in the curve 32 concentric with perforation 20 so that no part of the plate interferes with the flange 34 of movable upright 12 except as the end 36 strikes and stops against an angular cut 38 formed at the eX- treme edge of the'plate as is more fully shown, described and claimedI in my previous application, Ser. No. 686,759, filed' January 17, 1924.

Bearing inmind that the uprights 1@ and 12 and somey sort of'a cross platev corresponding to` plate 14 have to be provided in any step-ladder of this class, it will be seen that a hinge is provided by simply perforating the cross-plate 14 at 20V and, if desired, per-rv foratingthe upright 12atl 31 and then providing and Welding in place the singlebar the right" length to come i-ntoaction, re`

straining a further spreading ofthe mem-- bers 10 and 12' at exactly `the instant' the upper end 86 ofimemberl 12 contacts sur-- fact 38 of' plate14, asl heretofore described, to.. vrevent furtheropening of the hinge mec'anism at the 'topf of the' ladder. In other words, the stop device just referred to on the hinge. operates at exactly the instant link connection 42v and 44 becomes ta'ut, and each anti-spreading mechanism thus simultaneously cooperates with and reinforces the other. g

f Having thusl described my invention, what' I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. vIn a metal stepfladdefr', two uprightY support members yangul'arly disposed with reference to each other, for pivotal connection,l a cross-member projecting from one-ofI said members overlapping the second member there, being a perforation, in the cross member and a part welded at oneend to said second member overlapping at: its other end the cross member, thence passing through and journaled in said perforation in the cross member, and again engaging said second member. y

2. In a metal step-ladder, two angularly disposed upright support members, a flat cross-plate rigid with one upright, overlapping the second upright and carrying a circular perforation Where it overlaps the second upright, and a flat bar rigidly secured at one end tothe second 'upright adjacent to the perforation in the plate, bent through said perforation in the plate to form a pivotal connection therein and thencefinto a perforation provided for it in said second upright.

3. In a metal step ladder, twooverlapping members to be pivotedy together, there being a perforation in one of the members where it overlaps the second and a third member welded to the second member extend-ing from a point at one sideof the pei1` fora-ted member, over the edge of said per-V forated member and thence i-ntosaid perforation toy form a pivoty therein, the free end ofthe third member 'entering an open-- ing provide-d for itin themembervto` which it isv welded.`

4. In a step-ladder, two angularly diseV posed upright members, a hingel connectionbetween said upright members, means at the hinge preventing the upright spreadingA beyond a given angle and a collapsible con-Y nection, between the uprights, remote from the hinge, of such length that it becomes tight and effective when the uprights arespread to exactly the-point where the pre venting means at the hinge operates.

5. A hinge construction comprising two adjoining plates provided with registering openings;v and a strip. secured at one end to one of said plates, they other end of said strip being bent to pass through both of said openings, substantially as described.

6. A hinge construction comprising twov adjoining plates one of which is provided with a circular open-ingand the' other a rectangular slot registering centrallyA with said circular opening; and a strip secured' to one of' said plates, at one end, the other' end of said strip being bent to extend throughy said openings, substantially as described'.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' n FERNANDO J. LE BEAU. 

